Anchor
by PumpkinHarvest
Summary: "Because I won't let it, Jasper. Do you understand?" Garnet's left hand fell to the center of Jasper's chest, her thumb stroking in meticulous circles. "As long as you're on our team, and you're by my side, I won't let anything bad happen to you." Her words resonated a promise that Jasper knew wouldn't be broken.
This here Jaspnet is a commission for the amazing thegembeaststemple, commissioned by their equally amazing friend hmrg.

I'd like to give a big thank you to my friends Xigs, Spin, and Alex for beta-reading this sin, and another thank you to hmrg for helping me so much, it wouldn't be what it is now without yah!

* * *

An immense pressure pinned her to the bottom of the dark abyss. Jasper tried to scream, compelled by her very nature to call for help, but no words came out. Her mouth refused to open, her lips pursed tight. Her eyes cast up to the unseeable surface world. No light could hope to make it this far down.

Horrid aquatic creatures brushed past them, atrocious things— gnawing on her limbs— _their_ limbs. Malachite lashed out, a cloud of blood pooling around them. Slain corpses fell to the luminescent seabed, to be picked off by the lesser things lurking in these waters. In the absence of such aggravations, Malachite stilled— unblinking, unmoving, unthinking.

Jasper could no longer hear Lapis' thoughts, and she assumed the same held true for her. In the beginning, she had cursed Lapis every moment of every _day_ , and perhaps that was why Lapis chose to remain quiet. Now, only a haunting indifference strung between them.

She'd attempted to reach out to Lapis time and time again, had pleaded countless sorrys to her. Unsure if her cries went ignored or unheard. She disconnected from the only other person trapped in this hell with her.

Solitude had brought Jasper to the terrifying realization that Lapis wasn't in control anymore— that she probably hadn't been since the start.

Pain occasionally radiated in the back of her skull, each fit causing Malachite's form to waver. The promise of release always accompanied by an onslaught of surging headaches.

 _Only a matter of time._

Till the weight of this planet's ocean did them both in and sealed them under. How deep were they? _When_ had they arrived here? In this...eerily beautiful hideaway…

Malachite's massive body shuddered, rippling the waters around them. Scattered silken tendrils of light died in the sand, leaving them in opaque, unending darkness.

Jasper feared the darkness most of all.

The rows and rows of teeth lining their mouth gnashed, a muffled roar resounded from their hollow chest. Jasper wished she could cover her ears and curl into herself.

" _Lapis!"_ She tried pitifully, words ringing in her head while the creature they'd become bellowed. Malachite's gnarled fingers clawed down their face, cracking their form.

" _Lapis, please! Stop this!"_ She begged, her voice swallowed up in the beast's wailing.

Her skull threatened to burst, she needed her hands to hold her pieces together. She could feel chilled tears welling in her eyes, spilling alarmingly hot across her cheeks.

She prayed for reprieve. For mercy.

A far-away voice called back, resonating like salvation in the dark, " _Jasper!"_

" _Please let me go...please. I can take us both h-home."_

" _Jasper…"_

" _I-I'm so sorry."_

" _Don't...be sorry, Jasper."_

A warm hand caressed her tear stained face, cool gemstone fastened in the palm. With her mind starving for affection— for _contact —_ she was helpless to lean against it.

Jasper squinted as Malachite's wailing turned frantic and broken. Straining to see the figure looming in darkness beyond, she reached blindly for it.

" _Open your eyes, Jasper. Look where you are."_

Before Jasper could choke out a response, her eyes, unknowingly closed, flashed open. Light flooded in nigh painfully, burning her irises. She sat up with a gasp, near shaking as the world around her came into focus.

She scrambled back, hands and feet slipping on the bedroll she'd rested on the night before. Her mind in disarray while a towering gem came towards her, softened expression on her familiar face.

"G-Garnet?" Jasper sputtered out, panic still bubbling in her throat. Reality echoed back to her. She was safe, under the protection of these _Crystal Gems._

"Jasper…" The fusion soothed, taking slow, measured steps towards her. Jasper's chest rose and fell like a scared animal's. "Another night terror?" Garnet asked concernedly, sinking to the couch and patting the seat beside her.

Jasper pawed at her own neck, eyes wide, headspace scattered about like most of her mornings on this planet. She slinked closer to Garnet, with due coaxing, and sat by her side, flush against her, plagued with a few lingering shivers.

She could still hear the current rushing past her ears… Malachite's bloodcurdling _howls_.

Garnet touched a hand to hers, tapping a rhythm in sync with her humming. Weathered and weary from entombment, her body ached for rest, but her mind couldn't take the dark behind her own eyelids anymore.

"No details are necessary, Jasper. You can talk when you're ready."

Jasper nodded, stark eyed and absent while her head fell to Garnet's lap. With her disheveled hair pet gingerly, Jasper could almost close her eyes again and let them rest.

She mouthed the words she wanted to say, practicing them before speaking them— a habit she'd developed on Homeworld.

"I…don't know how to express what I'm feeling. Right now." Jasper managed before rolling onto her back, her face cast up to Garnet.

The fusion's expression had been hard to read in the beginning, with her eyes hidden beneath that visor. Now, Jasper knew to see different cues: a twitch of her fingers before she folded her arms across her chest, a shift in her weight from left to right.

"Say it in your own words." Garnet implored, crossing her knees.

Jasper stared openly at her, finding it rather easy to look a gem in the face when she couldn't see their eyes boring into her. Scrutinizing her. Measuring her up.

"I know where I am." She murmured, trailing while she turned her head to the side. Her gaze cast out the window across the room. "I tell myself where I am every time I lay my head down, every time I open my eyes and…" _Every time I look at you._

"And?"

"And why...why am I so? So…weak?"

Garnet turned Jasper back to face her. "You mean _scared?_ " She asked heatedly, "What you went through...what you and Lapis made each other endure was horrifying. The things you've seen down there. The thoughts in Malachite's head…" Garnet pet away Jasper's stray hairs so sweetly.

A breath hitched in Jasper's throat, "What about it?" She asked, voice hoarse.

"Moments like that resonate in our hearts, traumatic events don't just pop in and out of our lives, Jasper. They linger," Garnet smoothed her hand down the length of Jasper's cloudy mane. "And the pain lingers, too."

A quiet pause fell between either of them while Jasper let her words sink in. The fusion stroked her temples gingerly. Jasper had found a simple and powerful relief in contact— in _affection._ Especially from Garnet, always from _Garnet._

A tear spilled from her eye and she let it fall without a word. Garnet was right. Jasper _did_ feel pain. She clutched a hand over her chest, a phantom ache in place of a heart she didn't possess. If the fusion noticed her tears, she did well in keeping it to herself. Garnet didn't say a word about it, or anything else for a while. Instead, she sat with her, pet her hair in a soothing rhythm.

Jasper could hear the other gems bustling about the house: Pearl tending to the day to day chores, Amethyst caterwauling with Steven, her voice so _so_ obnoxiously loud— and yet, Jasper was at peace among all the newly familiar sounds.

Lapis usually kept to herself, complacent near the shore, her feet thrust ankle deep in the lapping waters. Sometimes, she'd disappear into it for hours and wouldn't return for days.

Jasper detested to admit it, but her time entombed beneath the ocean's weight had instilled a petrifying fear of it inside of her. It'd taken great effort for her to walk onto the front deck. To be near it was an effort. She doubted she had the strength to wade an inch deep.

Just as she thought to nod off once more, young Steven came bounding over, Amethyst no longer in tow. He yammered on to Garnet about the other child, _Connie._ Something about her arrival her tomorrow and Garnet murmuring a 'yes' before sending him on his way.

Except he did not chose to go on his way, like an obedient boy. He stood right where he was, squirming in front of Jasper, staring wide eyed at her. Looking from her, then to Garnet with an unreadable expression.

Jasper glowered at him. "What?"

"Steven, why don't you go find Peridot?" Garnet offered, trying to shoo the boy once more, to no avail.

He plopped down before them, legs crossed while he dusted wet sand from the bottom of his shoes. "Peridot and Lapis are watching t.v. in dad's old shed. I _was_ gonna ask her if she wanted to come to town with me, but seeing as she's _busy…_ " He batted his lashes, bottom lip pouting while he rolled his shoulders. " _Well..._ I thought maybe you guys would like to come."

Garnet no longer stroked her hair. She shifted her weight, uncrossed her legs, and waited politely for Jasper to answer instead.

She narrowed eyes at him, seeing no reason for him to want to invite her. Garnet, sure, but her?

Why?

"For what?" She wondered, rolling onto her side to fully face him. He beamed at her, a toothy smile with all the innocence she would expect from a human child, halfling though he might be.

"To get something to eat while it's still early. We'll basically have the town to ourselves while everyone sets up shop. It's the perfect time! You even have your safety blanket with you!" Steven proclaimed as if he knew what he was _talking_ about, pointing at Garnet.

" _Safety blanket?"_ Jasper scoffed. Garnet made her feel grounded. Anchored. _Safe_ wasn't...wasn't the _word_ for it. She scowled. Ready to refuse the boy altogether.

"How about it, Jasper?" Garnet diverted her temper with an enchanting smile. She extended a hand out to her, offering a place beside her and Steven. "It could be fun. I _see_ you having fun, you know?"

Jasper fought the grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"You always want a bite of what I get anyway. Even when you say you're not hungry." Steven teased, speaking only the truth. "You can get anything you want."

Jasper rubbed the back of her neck, hand itching to fall in Garnet's. She rolled her shoulders, _yes or no_ suddenly a difficult choice. Never been this indecisive in her life. "I clearly stand out from humans. It will draw attention to us."

Steven laughed, tugging his backpack over his shoulder to check its contents. "Don't worry. Amethyst is purple. Peridot is _green_ — and they go out into town with me all the time! No one notices a thing."

"More like no one seems to _care_. This town is used to weird. Eight foot tall women aren't all that strange." Garnet let her hand fall by her side. "So is it yes or no?"

Jasper wanted to ask them _why_ they displayed such kindness to her, but she supposed such questions could be answered later. She grew tired of asking why. Perhaps when they returned, but as for now? Jasper looked to Garnet's hands hanging by her sides and took them in her own, rising to a stand with them— feeling more welcome with these rebels than she had her own squadron on Homeworld.

She nodded to both of them with a sigh, " _Fine."_

* * *

Hardly a soul wandered these streets so early. Jasper surveyed the area, taking in the air of this beach side town, rank with salt and ocean breeze. The open structure of this quaint village was inviting. Homes dotted everywhere, restaurants, businesses. Such a pleasant contrast to life on Homeworld.

Though, she wouldn't admit it aloud or otherwise, Steven's persistence had proved worthwhile. It made her to experience new scenery with good company. She'd spent weeks on end in that temple, and months before that, trapped at the bottom of the ocean's depths.

Cobbled streets and gleaming shop windows were a welcome sight.

She'd accepted there'd likely be no way to return to her origins. Even if she were to somehow make it back by bloodied tooth and maw, she wouldn't be welcome. She knew that for a fact. If what Peridot said was true, all those heated words she'd shared with their Superior, then they were as good as damned. She hadn't struggled with that concept for a second, in fact, she felt relief to know.

Fear gnawed at her, even with her past behind her, she couldn't find happiness here. On Earth with its rebel gems and peculiar human inhabitants.

Lost in her musings, they must've arrive at their destination. Steven opened a door for her and for Garnet as well, a bell tinkling when they entered the aromatic building. The scent of hot spices and cooking meat pummeling her in the face. She almost had to cup a hand over her gem to ward the smell.

"What'll you have?" Steven quipped from across the room, standing on his toes while pointing towards a seemingly endless menu of scrawled letters. His finger tapped his little chin, lost in thought as he decided. "I'm thinking something _cheesy,_ but at the same time, something _rustic."_

Jasper had no idea where to begin and just shook her head, stooping to ask the boy, "What's the...round one? The one with the hole in the middle." She cupped her hands.

He squinted but quickly caught on to what she wanted. "Oh! No, no. You're talking about donuts...from the Big Donut." He frowned. "I'm sorry, but they're closed this early on Saturday."

Very well then. "What about the other rounded one. The tiny bucket of confectionary. It's cold and sweet."

"Jasper, that's ice cream, you've got to get something healthy for breakfast! Like pizza." Steven insisted, reaching over his shoulder and into his bag. "Good morning, Kiki." He beamed at the woman across the counter.

She smiled back at him, eyes clearly sleepy. "And good morning to you too, Steven." She replied, arms crossed while she leant against the counter. "The ovens still need a minute to heat up, but go ahead and tell me what you want and I'll get everything started."

Steven looked up to Jasper, face expectant. "You know what you want? I'm paying for both of us."

Garnet intervened politely, hands on Steven's shoulders. "I think you should _surprise_ Jasper. Get a pizza you like and you can enjoy it together." She suggested, earning a smile from the boy.

He nodded and slid his money on the counter. "One cheese and olive, and one pineapple and ham, please!"

The girl jotted their order down and took his payment with a wink. "You want it on flatbread?"

" _No_." Steven jabbed his finger, still pointing while he led them to the door. A bell tinkling when it opened. " _Hand-tossed."_

Jasper couldn't be bothered to complain about his childish antics, seeing as he was just that— a child. Not Rose Quartz mighty, hiding her power and masquerading as a weakling.

She said nothing, only shrugged and followed Steven and Garnet outside of the aromatic shop. Bell tinkling once again behind them.

They found seating just outside to patiently wait for their meal. Steven, a hint less patient while he swung his legs to the tune of his humming. The laces on his shoes unstrung, slapping noisily to and fro.

Jasper turned her face towards the sky and basked in the warm morning sunlight. The bench beneath her creaked, settling with her weight. She buffed her hands along the edge, eyes cast out to the ocean far ahead of her.

If she listened well, she could hear the sound of the adamant waves lapping against the shore.

She tried to avert her gaze, but when she realized the ocean ahead was too familiar, she grew transfixed.

Her knuckles blanched as she clutched her seat, the sound of wood splinters popping muted in the background. She could hear Steven and Garnet beside her, but she couldn't bring herself to respond to their words. She turned to look at them, suddenly perceiving them as far off figures in the distance— she looked back at the ocean, bubbling shoreline a step away.

Jasper gasped, choking on air she didn't need with the realization that the ocean was swallowing her back up. Those dark waters called her to its center, ready to swathe her in shadow.

She whirled on her heels, feet sunk into the sand while she fought to clamber back up the shore. Her hands clawed uselessly in the grainy terrain and she cried out for Garnet to come help her. _Save her._ Anchor her to the surface world and never let the ocean take her.

Panic clawed from within her chest, up into her throat and out her mouth in a scream. Black water came rushing towards her, and Jasper lacked the will to endure it. She was sucked down beneath the choppy waters in one gulp, dragged down to the bottom of the frigid void.

Light disappeared this far under. She sank, ready to shut her now useless eyes again— till a swarm of hands plunged through the depths and wrenched her free. Jasper sputtered, arms flailing to regain composure and keep afloat once breached.

She struck out, fist connecting with rock, their fingers snapping in a gnarled mess. Jasper opened her eyes. Her many eyes. Realizing that she was no longer herself.

Jasper was _Malachite_ once more— no longer in control of her actions or the consequences they wrought. Her mind suspended in darkness, carried above the waves by the wretched form. Water sluiced down their body, still stiff with neglect.

Sea creatures wormed through their sopping hair, the sensation enough to make Malachite thrash— swinging their head to and fro, beating at their skull. Jasper wailed for the punishment to stop, _willed_ them to unfuse, to no avail.

She could hear Malachite laughing, a malevolent, hollow sound that echoed off the sea cliffs— returning back to them in a jaded whisper. Jasper struggled against the calling to relinquish control. Her mien ready to give everything up, to hand her very being over to the monster.

Unbridled rage that wasn't her own coursed through her, demanded Jasper succumb and fall to her knees. The abomination they'd become raged war inside and out, with Jasper helpless to fight against it.

Resistance drew pain, blooming in the base of her skull.

Malachite's hands lashed out, connecting and ensnaring something. Someone. Clinging to them, drowning them to gain distance on the ocean.

Sunken ships crushed beneath their feet with every step, masts spearing through their heels— agonizing _her_ , but slowing the beast none.

Jasper worried not only for herself, but for a faceless child. One she could hear in the distance.

Pure sandy shores lay ahead, distorted and wavering in Malachite's eyes. They reached for it, halted in place, a white hot pain radiated in their chest.

Jasper could hear voices calling her name, recognizable and otherwise. They all told her to look down, to catch a glimpse of an arrowhead, plunged straight through Malachite's breast. Her fingers hovered above the searing tip before it shattered them apart.

Malachite hadn't the chance to scream. To struggle.

' _Thank you.'_

Gone, before she could reply, retreating to the core of her gem for rest and regeneration. Her happiness palpable.

Jasper had retained form, for only a brief period. Enough to feel the warm ocean breeze on her face, and the cold waters meeting her back as she fell into them.

In that peaceful moment, Jasper relinquished control once and for all— to the fatigue radiating in her bones. She sighed, her body phasing away while she, too, took refuge in the safety of her gem.

" _Jasper…_ " A child's voice called to her. Concerned and hurried.

She was in no state to respond. She was _resting_. Cradled in Garnet's hands and bubbled away in a crystalline orb.

This time, another voice, soothing and velveteen spoke to her, " _Jasper, come back to us."_

" _Garnet?"_ She rasped, unaware she could speak.

Warm hands encompassed hers, and tugged her to the surface of reality. Jasper convulsed, eyes blown wide, head reeling when Garnet and young Steven came into focus.

Jasper watched Garnet's face, wrought with concern, Steven's brows knitted in confusion. "Is she okay?" Two flat boxes in his arms, a fragrant heat rising from them.

The fusion nodded, her hands falling away from Jasper's so that she could stand. "She's alright," Garnet assured, herself and Steven both, before looking to Jasper, unsure if she was in fact _alright. "_ Aren't you?"

Jasper felt guilty to be the center of their worry. She stood with them, ready to brush the subject beneath the rug. These vivid memories were overwhelming to experience, but enduring them proved...necessary. For her mind. "I'm fine. I just...got lost in my own thoughts for a moment."

Jasper saw them glance at one another before Garnet sidled up beside her— putting Jasper in the middle of the happy trio. "Those thoughts wouldn't happen to be about the ocean, would they?" She pried, gently. Not seeking much detail by the tone of her voice.

Steven peered up to both of them, obviously trying to do so in a sneaky manner, as if what Garnet asked could somehow be a private matter.

Jasper didn't want to lie, there was no reason to. Garnet had been open enough with her these past few weeks. It was only fair for her to do the same. So, she nodded. "Yes. About my final moments as Malachite. When I wasn't in control of anything it said or did…" She trailed.

The sun was rising higher in the morning sky, more humans made their way out onto the streets, bringing life to this town by the sea. Steven had been right: beyond a few lingering glances, humans hardly seemed to notice her.

"Those thoughts have no power over you, Jasper. _You_ are the one in control." Garnet sighed, stroll becoming lazy while they walked through the city. " And you're never going to be that monster again."

"And how do you know that?" Jasper murmured, almost quiet enough for only herself to hear. "How can you be so sure that it won't happen again?" Her eyes flashing down to the ambling innocent boy beside her, a pang at the thought of the torment she'd brought him alone.

How many awkward apologies had she stumbled over to that boy?

"Because I won't _let_ it, Jasper. Do you understand?" Garnet's left hand fell to the center of Jasper's chest, her thumb stroking in meticulous circles. "As long as you're on our team, and you're by my side, I won't let anything bad happen to you."

Her words resonated a promise that Jasper knew wouldn't be broken.

Steven grinned up at her, nearly tripping over his own two feet. "And I'll keep you safe, too, Jasper!"

Make that _two_ promises that wouldn't be broken.

* * *

Jasper sat cross legged, hands clasped tight and set on the table in front of her. Garnet was busy with Steven just above her. The light on his television set flickered off, accompanied by a weary groan. She could hear Garnet hush his bellyaching, sheets rustling while she tucked the boy in for his nightly rest.

They'd shared pizza, or rather, Jasper had _inhaled_ an entire pizza after sampling a pre-cut slice. Their leisurely day had ensued with movie marathons, all of Steven's favorites. His endless streams of commentary while Jasper genuinely tried to focus on the happenings of the fictional characters.

She and Lapis even had menial conversation today, a simple 'how do you do?' To ensure they were keeping in good sense. Despite Jasper's aloofness, she cared for Lapis in a way that she couldn't care for another. An entirely new feeling, manifested from the torture they'd shared together. A powerful, unspoken bond between them as survivors.

Garnet and Steven were silent for a long while, only the dull hum of a table fan could be heard. Jasper was sure that Garnet had fallen asleep with him, but she appeared moments later, walking quietly down the stairs.

"Is he asleep?"

Garnet peered up for a final check before whispering back, "Definitely. He was out before his head hit the pillow." She laughed to herself, shaking her head and gathering her visor in her hands. She buffed her palms over her eyes before putting her visor in its proper place once again.

"You look tired yourself." Jasper suggested, hopefully not out of line. Her chin fell to rest in the crook of her hands, lackadaisy while she watch the fusion, ready to ask her to take a seat.

Amethyst and Pearl had already retired themselves for the night, leaving her and Jasper alone. They carried good conversation between themselves, she rather liked talking with her. It was easy. Listening was easy, too.

For the first time in her life, she was listening to someone talk rather than waiting for her chance to speak. Garnet had so many fascinating stories to tell her, about her life and others. About her time on Earth. About the two gems that made her who she was.

Jasper wouldn't have made it her first nights if not for Garnet. She couldn't rest, couldn't sleep, couldn't feel anything but panic without Garnet spilling fairy tales and gently stroking her hair.

Jasper wished to show Garnet the depth of her gratitude, some day. She feared she didn't know the words to express it just now, but soon— she'd know exactly what to say to her.

Garnet nodded, rubbing the back of her neck before taking seat in the couch across from her. Her legs splayed wide while she sank deeper into a relaxing position, head tilted back against a cushion. "I have gotten a bit tired." Garnet accepted, sounding rather listless.

Jasper's gaze was riveted to the apex of Garnet's thighs, forced away over and over to maintain dignity. Her cheeks flushed hot with the thought of nuzzling her head between those thighs. She swallowed thickly.

"Do you like to sleep?" Jasper asked, curious to know the fusion's opinion.

"Sometimes." Garnet replied, propping her feet up on the table. "Not often, though. It's unsettling to keep my eyes closed for so long. Anything could happen, and I'm not even aware."

"Exactly! Not to mention the dreaming." Anything could happen in _those_. Jasper had come to know there were _good_ dreams, and then there were _bad_ dreams. And sometimes, there were ones even worse. Garnet called them night terrors. A befitting name.

"Besides, dreams aren't that fun when you know what's going to happen in them." Garnet alluded to her future vision with a wry smile.

Jasper could only agree, she couldn't comprehend day to day life for Garnet, expecting all the outcomes. There must be very little that surprised her.

Garnet crossed her legs, shutting her plush thighs away from sight. Jasper buried a scowl, cursing herself before changing topic. "Garnet," She began, determined to stumble over a thank you. "You...you and everyone here, you all have my gratitude." Those words coming across especially easy— leagues better than she'd feared.

Her place of birth had been vicious, and she'd been forced to rely on her upbringing of cunning and cruelty to gain any stature. Through hard earned triumphs and a pinch of deceit, she'd made a name for herself in the ranks of her peers.

Softness was all but bred from her facet, but Jasper had come to understand that weakness in gratitude did not exist. Garnet taught her that it took _courage_ to humble one's self, there was a power in humility— a humility so vastly different than what she'd known prior.

"That's big of you to say, Jasper." Garnet tilted her head up to look at her. "I know it hasn't been easy for you to integrate here, and honestly," She chuckled. "Peridot was more of a handful than you. You know we had her leashed for some time?"

Jasper snorted, wondering what sort of rope Peridot couldn't gnaw her way through. "I almost don't believe you, but your tone says you're not lying."

Garnet grinned. "No lies here, in fact, you should ask her for yourself sometime. I'm sure she'd like to tell you all about it." She relayed, with a deeper intention.

Jasper scowled, crossing her arms on the tabletop. "Peridot has nothing to say that I want to hear. Little green _imp_." Peridot had wormed over to her on occasion these past few days, perhaps with a sorry or two ready in hand. Too shaken to utter a word with her tightened expression before she scurried off.

Jasper didn't resent Peridot for fleeing the ship while she'd the chance, hell, Jasper was ready to grab the squirt and shove her into an escape pod herself— till she saw the runtling jettison without so much as a goodbye.

Just another person she meant nothing to, like the rest of her ilk on Homeworld.

"I think you would gain a friend in her, if you gave her another chance." Garnet retracted her feet from the table, setting up to prop her elbows on her knees.

"I'm certain I'd gain a friend in everyone on this wretched planet if I gave them a chance." Jasper spat, just barely stifling a snarl. She struggled to maintain her composure, remain polite for her companion. Show her that she knew how to be kind and forbearing. "I...I will talk to her when I can, but as for now? I'm content with talking to you, Garnet."

"I'm not all that talkative."

"I know, but maybe that's part of why it's so easy to converse with you." Jasper set her head back in her hands, her eyes half lidded and focused on Garnet. "You listen to me, and when you _do_ talk— I always want to hear it. I'm so used to only hearing orders barked down the back of my neck, or the hum of a ship's engine."

Garnet did not respond for a moment, seeming to wait if Jasper would begin again, and of course she did.

Jasper swept her hair from her eyes, holding it in place while she said, "I can confide in you. I don't worry about what might happen if I tell you something confidential or incriminating."

Garnet nodded in tune with her words and moved closer on the edge of her seat— hands splayed across her knees. Her lush mouth paused open. Jasper needn't but lurch across the table to steal a kiss from her.

Was there a future the fusion could see in which she did just that?

When Jasper weighed her options, she couldn't see a reason why _not_ to. The tiny gems that formed Garnet might be committed to one another, but their creation— this lovingly formed fusion— she was a person all her own. Capable of giving and receiving her own affections.

Jasper would be more than happy on either end. She was emboldened to, ready to surprise them both and obliterate the distance separating them.

Garnet carried forward before Jasper had the chance to finish her thought. Palm stones clattered against the table, her mouth already smothering Jasper's. No time for shock when Garnet was steadily coming for her, hands flitting to snag the sides of Jasper's face— kissing her _harder._

Her mind blanked. Only Garnet's name played over and over, caught in repeat. Jasper reached for her with both hands, an action met with so much eagerness that Garnet slipped. Her knees slid across the table in her rush and Jasper reached for her. Both hands settled on her toned waist, resting just above the swell of her hip. Still, she wasn't quick enough to keep Garnet from careening off the table and clumsily into her arms— nearly knocking her on her back in the process.

Garnet hissed in a nervous breath when both their foreheads met, she garnered her balance in no time, hands perched on Jasper's shoulders while she rose up above her. Both of them looked to the floor above them, praying that the noise hadn't woken Steven. Jasper's prayers were answered with the sound of rhythmic snores.

Jasper released Garnet's plush hips, with hidden reluctance. She propped upon her elbows, trying not to dwell on the searing pressure Garnet was stirring in the crook of her lap.

"You kissed me." Jasper whispered, dumbfounded, bringing a smile across Garnet's face.

"I did kiss you, Jasper." She replied, voice low. Sumptuous.

Without thought, Jasper touched a hand to Garnet's visor and pulled. The fusion gave a half hearted attempt at retrieving it, but her palm fell right back to Jasper's shoulder.

From this close, even in this dim room, Jasper could perceive Garnet's differing irises. The array of colors shining in her eyes mesmerizing, tempting her into another kiss.

"Again, then." Jasper demanded, a breath away from simply stealing one. Her tongue dabbing out to wet her bottom lip, grazing over Garnet's mouth.

"So impatient." Garnet murmured, her voice a velour siren's song luring her to the hectic shore. Her hands, always infinitely gentle, were explorative now— smoothing over her collar. "You're too indecisive, when I try and predict your actions, it's a maelstrom of possibilities." A curious finger traced her clavicle. "You want so much, don't you?"

Those words sent shivers down her spine. She'd only ever dreamed of touching another like this, imagined it fleetingly in her spare time— usually the forms and faces of her superiors. Her subordinates. Her squadron.

Jasper hadn't been aware of anyone on Homeworld who'd been open about such desires. Just hushed whispers, secrets passed behind a cupped hand. She'd been too ashamed to ask if it was forbidden. She could hear her Superiors now, aghast as to why she would even want to _know_ such a thing. Her body had been made for fighting, not fornicating.

"I'm not even sure if I can." Jasper admitted, her voice strained when Garnet's hand slid lower, between her breasts. More shivers. "You'll have to— I'll...need you to show me how."

"You'll be surprised what comes naturally." Garnet hinted, her hand flitting back up to Jasper's nape. One finger tucked beneath her chin, tilting her head back up, adjusting her for a kiss once more.

The alluring fusion had been right. There _was_ a power in humility, with rich, heady spoils.

Jasper was on the verge of asking where to begin, Garnet was so tiny in her arms, a curvaceous little thing. Her pretty eyes fanning almost shut before she planted a fleeting kiss on Jasper's lips.

Garnet slipped out of her hold and came to a stand over her, offering out a hand for Jasper to take. She rose with her, knowing full well if they were to do anything further, it certainly couldn't be in the presence of the sleeping young boy.

Garnet nodded wordlessly to the warp pad and beyond— the temple door that the other gems had slipped off to prior. Though, Lapis and Peridot appeared to prefer each other's company, outside of the house in that dusty shed, it wasn't uncommon for either of them to come inside the house. At anytime. Unannounced. Without a single knock.

Jasper ardently followed suit, wondering what sort of chambers Garnet liked to keep for herself. Surely those colors on the door represented different rooms in the fortress, accessible only by another Crystal Gem.

She noted that even though Peridot donned a star on her chest, the temple gate bore no peridot in the emblem for her.

"To your room?" Jasper asked.

Garnet raised her left palm. "Sort of."

The door whirled open before them, giving way to a room awash in crimson. Crystal spheres dotted inorganic veins trekking along the walls and ceiling above. Gems of all facets floating in their centers, safeguarded from the outside world.

At the heart of the room was a boiling hearth of lava, but despite the bubbling heat— the room remained a bearable temperature. Cold seemed to seep from the floor, through her boot and into her body.

The temple gate sealed shut behind them. Garnet's hand slipped inside of Jasper's, giving her little time to lose her nerve.

"This side is Ruby's," Garnet pointed to the lava pool. "Beyond that is Sapphire's room. I'm the only one here who can pass through, and that's exactly what she wanted." She snickered, her shoulders always rising when she laughed. "Only reason this room isn't sweltering."

Jasper nodded, her jaw slack at the sheer amount of gems placed inside this room. Upon closer inspection, it became clear that nearly every single gem here possessed some degree of damage. Whether it be a hairline crack or split into bits, these gems were shattered. Remnants of the war. Fallen comrades of these Crystal Gems.

They didn't seem the type to hold bias for victims of war, so she didn't doubt there were Homeworld aligned gems mingled in here, too. Everyone was worth saving. That's what Rose Quartz had believed in, what she'd fought mercilessly for. It was ironic, the lives that had to be lost in order for their peace to be acquired. On either end.

But none of that mattered now. Not here. Not while Garnet strolled lazily ahead of her, swinging her hips and leading her deeper into the room. Turning to face her with a contented smile.

Jasper wanted to get to the _kissing_ again. She rather liked doing that. She was about to start the ritual, meld their lips together and taste Garnet's spice, but the fusion slinked mischievously to her knees.

"What is this?" Jasper interrogated while Garnet ran her palms up and down her cut thighs, fingers pinching greedily at the swells of rigid muscle that flexed beneath her touch. The fusion nuzzled her cheek against Jasper's crotch, stimulating her with a shock that sent her to her toes.

Garnet kissed along her stomach, eyes shining while she kept them focused up on Jasper. Her bottom lip bit between her teeth while she stroked through her uniform, sweetly tender at first. Continually petting deeper, until Jasper was clutching the sides of Garnet's head, nearly doubled over in the throes of pleasure.

She moaned throatily, feeling just brazen enough to do away with her outfit entirely, and leave her form bare to Garnet. Vulnerable to the tiny fusion.

When Garnet realized her hands cupped palmfuls of warm flesh, she gasped. A sound so delightful coming from her. Her glittering eyes wild as she explored Jasper's exposed torso— hands slinking up her toned stomach and through the soft trail of downy hair, up further till she grazed the tips of her fingers along Jasper's heavy breasts, tugging a nipple before rolling it between her digits.

Jasper's knees buckled, the effort to hold herself upright suddenly an immense one. Garnet was aware of Jasper's struggling, and she coaxed her to kneel on the ground. Jasper humbled herself, dropping to her knees, towering over her small lover, leaving Garnet in her shadow.

With no words to describe these feelings inside of her, she relied on action to get the message across instead. She smothered Garnet's beautiful face in her hands and pulled her into a searing kiss. Teeth biting at Garnet's plump bottom lip, her tongue flicking out to sample her. She snarled against her mouth, grip tightening while she kissed her deeper.

Garnet ran her hands low and teased her forefinger up Jasper's uncut length before grabbing it sternly. Garnet's gem chilled her heated flesh— making her cock twitch in her smooth palm. Veins throbbed while Garnet traced them up and down. She gave a squeeze to the crown before thumbing it free from its sheath.

Jasper released a pent up breath, a satisfied hiss passing between her clenched teeth. Her hands fell to the ground on either side of Garnet's head, propping her upright, caging the fusion under her massive body.

Her hips spasmed, compelled to rock against the gem beneath her. The pressure of release _already_ on the precipice. Jasper knew the tells of it by now, the fluttering of her heart, the tight draw of her heavy sac. She slowed her gait to a halt, pulling her member away from Garnet's warmth.

She'd waited too long to explore another. She knew the ins and outs of pleasuring herself. She knew the planes and expanses of her own form. What she'd yearned for was to study another, to learn what delighted someone else. Not just anybody else— but _Garnet._

Jasper wanted to memorize and brand this moment into memory for all time. Into her very being. So, she damn well wasn't about to ruin it by coming all over her lover's hand- even if seed was already pooling in a thick knot at the root of her shaft, threatening to blow.

Just when Jasper thought she had her head on straight, Garnet phased away her form fitting attire, leaving her glowing in the nude, splayed like a banquet before her. No wonder this creature was so confident, she was _perfection._

" _Garnet…"_ " Jasper cooed to her, hands stroking her temples and toying with her thick curls of hair. "Let me take care of you, for once." She insisted, dipping her head to nuzzle Garnet's collar. A soft kiss was placed on her fragrant skin, a smile could be heard forming on Garnet's lips in the way she spoke her next words.

"By all means." Her hips snapped wickedly for punctuation, almost stripping Jasper of any power she had left to call her own.

Jasper trailed her mouth lower, keen on taking a dark nipple between her lips. She suckled Garnet harshly, one hand trickling down to cup her neglected breast and tease the sensitive peak between her fingers. She licked her hard, flattening her tongue to drag it along her little bud. Another roll of Garnet's hips said she was doing a fine job, at least for her first attempt.

Jasper shifted her weight on her knees, rapt on Garnet's warm curves, feeling her everywhere. Garnet dove in Jasper's hair, ardently steering her mouth away from her breasts with a wet _pop_ , leaving her nipple glistening and well-kissed.

"I knew you'd catch on fast." Garnet praised, her hands falling from Jasper's cloudy hair when she moved out of reach— her head snug between Garnet's thighs, eyes glued to the apex of them.

Jasper nodded absently, her hands slipping beneath Garnet's giving backside and hoisting her up. Bringing her to the cusp of her watering mouth, words fanning hot breath across skin. "Teach me everything there is to know about you, fusion." She demanded, giving a rough squeeze to her arse. "Your desires. Your preferences. Your tastes."

Garnet sat like a pretty treasure in Jasper's palms, legs spread wide to receive her kiss. Hips rocking subtly for the contact Jasper had yet to give. She groaned a half-hearted chuckle, thumbing Garnet's plump folds open to behold her softness. Her sex glazed in her honeyed arousal, the center so lovely and pink.

Her shaft shot hard as steel, pulsing with an undeniable ache for release.

"My desires?" Garnet murmured, her eyes half lidded, expression foggy with her arousal. One hand reached to stroke Jasper's jaw. "The only desire I have now is for you, Jasper." Her voice shaken, lost to the abyss of pleasure when Jasper's mouth fell upon her.

Instinct had led her this far, and instinct would see her through as well. She hooked Garnet's legs over her shoulders, licking deeper against her slick heat, delivering slow, masterful strokes betwixt the tender folds of her sex, one thumb dipped into the core— sucked to the hilt by Garnet's greedy body. Jasper stirred her from within, mouth pursed over her clitoris.

Garnet attempted to muffle a cry, only to moan unabashed when Jasper began to gently suckle her. She drew in rhythmic pulls, stressing each with a harsh flick of her tongue, thumb sinking in and out of her tight sheath.

" _Jasper!_ " Garnet's body seized beneath her, hips rocking to meet her kiss with sporadic thrusts. Jasper would see her come as many times as she could get. She speared a second digit knuckle deep inside of her sex— pushing the fusion right over the edge.

Jasper snarled against her decadent flesh at the first spasm, the first intoxicating hint of her orgasm. The taste was almost enough to send Jasper tumbling off the edge with her as well. She dutifully brought Garnet to climax, pumping her fingers steadily while she licked her ever harder between the thighs— savoring the taste of her release.

Garnet mumbled words above her, incoherent fragments of praise in several different human languages, seemingly stuck on a feedback loop of arduous appreciation. Her hands blindly reaching for Jasper with the silliest grin splayed across her face.

She snagged Jasper and veered her home for a kiss, licking at Jasper's mouth to get a taste of her own come. For the hundredth time this night, Jasper's shaft throbbed painfully, the ache sated when Garnet took her in hand, cupping her palms together and slipping them along her cock.

"I know you must be ready to come." Garnet teased, her fingertips toying with her foreskin, rolling it gently away from the head. Her thumb slathering the moisture that'd gathered there, causing more pre-come to bead atop the exposed crown. "But I also know that you're _really_ going to like what I do next." A dangerous smile on her ethereal face, contrast to her rosy flushed cheeks, glowing with passion.

Garnet gave her shaft a harsh tug, a finger stabbed between her breasts— pressing her to rise to her knees. Jasper did as instructed, propping up nice for her lover, cock distended and pulsating before her eyes.

The fusion came to a crawl, her gaze cast up at Jasper, lashes batting slowly while she stalked closer. Her mouth brushed against the tip, just barely letting the crown wedge past her lips. Jasper's head rolled on her shoulders. To receive this from her Garnet, her erotic little fusion...it was heaven.

" _Garnet,"_ She rasped, watching as her cock disappeared into her warm mouth, swallowed vigorously to the hilt. She felt the bulbous crown meet the back of Garnet's throat, could perceive the forays of her tongue along the underside of her shaft. She held her deep for a long moment, sucking her harsh before releasing her with a gasp. Thick lines of drool strung between them.

One hand fisted the base of her cock, spreading moisture evenly before dipping lower. Garnet's mouth open as she took Jasper in half-way, swirling her tongue against her foreskin, sweeping the crown against the soft inside of her cheeks. Both hands worked her shaft while she bobbed her head, the right now cupped her sac, hefting her balls and trying their weight before letting them drop gently. Her gem soothingly cold against her hot flesh.

Jasper moaned, bowing over from pleasure, hands gripped on Garnet's shoulders— needing her for an anchor now more than ever. Her world began to spin, faster so when Garnet hummed low in her throat, vibrating up Jasper's length. Her eyes crossed, dizzied in the fusion's clutches.

Her hips were pumping of their own accord, desperate for deeper access. When her thrusts grew savage, sending her plunging noisily in and out of her mouth, Garnet would give her sac an austere _squeeze—_ reigning her in for handling.

Those eyes had yet to leave hers, Jasper noticed.

"Anymore of this..." She groaned, that damning tension coiling in her gut. "You'll _ruin_ me." She warned, not sure how much longer she could keep up, the snap of her hips involuntarily now. The blunt scrape of Garnet's teeth along her shaft had her toes curling.

Thankfully, it appeared that mercy was on Garnet's mind tonight, because she released her hold, hands climbing up Jasper's chest instead— stopping to linger on her breasts. Her cock still buried deep in her mouth. She almost whined when Garnet pulled away from her,

Garnet placed a sugared kiss to the head, "What makes you think that wasn't my intention?" Her voice silken while she rose up before Jasper, her beauty enough to bring Jasper to her knees if she weren't already there.

Garnet's toned stomach flexed just before Jasper's eyes. She leant forward to kiss her there, trailing them to the thatch of curls between her legs, earning her a few loving strokes to her head and stormy tresses.

Jasper looked to her, weaving her arms around Garnet's waist and letting them rest on the swell of her hips. Forehead pressed against her abdomen for this peaceful interlude. Almost innocent in comparison to what they'd been doing just moments before, and what they were _about_ to be doing moments later.

Garnet leant down to Jasper's ear, hands cupping her chin before she murmured, "You're going to take care of me now, aren't you Jasper?"

Those words filled her with not only the need to pleasure this ravenous lovely, but to _protect_ her as well.

"If you allow me to."

Jasper gazed mesmerized at the enchanting creature standing before her, and with a single shove— Garnet became the creature _above_ her. Standing unashamed over Jasper's erection, whilst it strained painfully to reach her softness. Her hands clenched by her side.

Garnet lowered herself, hips flaring wide while she straddled Jasper's hips, bending to smooth her tongue across Jasper's collar, down to her aching breasts, sucking one between her teeth.

She cursed, rocking into the gem sitting atop her, her cock nestled against her ass. Garnet gasped, backing herself into Jasper's crotch, sitting back up to look down at her. Her right hand flitted to Jasper's length, working it slowly, masturbating it against her own sex— her bottom lip snagged between her teeth.

Garnet crouched, poising the throbbing crown of Jasper's shaft right at her entrance. Pre-come dribbled from the tip, leaking down and spilling over Garnet's fingers.

Jasper's knuckles blanched with the effort to keep restrained, wanting nothing more than to be seated _deep_ inside of this fusion. Her beautiful Garnet.

Just as her hands unfurled to snag Garnet's hips, she was plunged hilt deep, sucked to the base by her greedy sex.

Jasper's mouth went dry, her hands falling limp and useless by her side. Head lolling on her shoulders when Garnet whisked her hips in a lazy circle, stirring Jasper inside of her. She cried out for mercy, back arching when Garnet began to ride her in a steady rhythm.

She watched in awe as Garnet found her pleasures, her face twisting with a pinch of agony while she worked Jasper into a frenzy, her left hand flitting betwixt her legs to stimulate her clitoris. Jasper shooed her away, compelled to take care of that for her. She mashed the pad of her thumb against her bud, earning a hot spasm from Garnet's sex.

Her other hand fell to her ass, giving her cheeks a rough squeeze and a smack. Not even _comprehending_ why she felt the need to spank her, but it was well received when Garnet froze above her, cunt twitching and eyes half lidded. It took an impatient bounce of Jasper's hips to get her moving again, with less vigor than before, shaken— as if she was a breath away from orgasm.

Jasper had enough of Garnet's lackadaisy pace, and she snatched her hips, stopping a thrust mid motion. She groaned when Garnet stirred unhurriedly, the sound muffled when Jasper took her to the ground and smothered her with a kiss— never unsheathing from her warm body.

No resistance in her taking, Garnet's arms fell above her head, pliant and cleaving to her. Jasper growled, hands gliding along her twisting curves, nails embedding into her hips, the sound of their sex filling the room.

She dragged her closer, plunging relentlessly inside of her, spreading her legs wide to accommodate her size. Hips met Garnet's plush thighs with every thrust, and her moans grew near constant, her hands desperately seeking Jasper— clinging to her when she found her amidst her stupor. Singing her name on repeat with that siren's voice.

" _That's it, Garnet."_ Jasper exalted, one hand reaching for her plump breasts, palming each of them and admiring how they swayed with the slightest jostling before, and bounced so pretty for her while they fucked. "I can _feel_ you…" Those slick walls fluttering around her cock, the fusion snapping her hips to meet each thrust.

Garnet was holding onto her for dear life, eyes crinkled shut. Her mouth opened and Jasper listened intently, ready to meet her demands. Garnet could ask her anything at this moment and Jasper would be helpless to oblige.

" _Say it, sweetheart."_ Jasper urged, pulsing inside of her, growing thicker with her peak nearing.

Jasper bottomed out in her, grinding the broad root of her erection against that sensitive little bud hidden between her luscious folds. She spread Garnet's legs wider, nearly pressing them flat against the ground. She seemed to mind not a bit while Jasper delivered shallow thrusts, grunting when those walls clenched around her.

Garnet rented her nails down Jasper's back, her breasts mashed against Jasper's she was bowed so tight. Jasper gathered her close, lost to pleasure by now, her hips freely bucking into her wetness. Humping wildly against her, sealing her against the floor and stilling her for her orgasm.

" _Jasper! I-I'm— "_

The fusion _screamed_ , body seizing, _wavering_ , while she came in a hot rush. Jasper came inside of her, coming before she'd even realized how near she spasms so strong it took the seed from her, milking her endlessly. Their fit was snug, not a drop was spilled, even with Jasper's erratic thrusts.

She emptied inside of her with a groan, pulling free her thoroughly fucked cock— a satisfied hiss elicited from both of them. Spend pooled beneath Garnet, though none more rushed from her. Jasper wouldn't see her sullied so, and she scooped her into her arms.

Garnet was molten in her hands, a grin plastered across her glowing face. She nestled into the crook of Jasper's lap like it were home, her head lain against Jasper's sweat slick chest. She pet Jasper with tired strokes, the chill of her palm stones seeping into her flushed skin.

With Garnet safely in her hold, Jasper fell back— yanking her new lover to splay across her. Ready to discuss all the ins and outs of what in the _hell_ they just did, and how they were going to do it a hundred different ways every day of her life.

Jasper wasn't ten seconds out of her and already picturing Garnet bent over the kitchen counter, nude and waiting for her, or Garnet with her eyes covered— blindfolded— with her hands bound, that slim back facing her while she worked Jasper inside of her.

" _Garnet!"_ Jasper laughed, her arms thrown around her spent body. " _Garnet..._ that was...I had no idea. I didn't even know to _expect…_ " She scrubbed a hand over her mouth, unsure of where to begin. Or how to say _thanks_ for something like this. "That was amazing." She murmured in short, arms falling by her side while Garnet nuzzled closer.

Garnet chuckled, her smile audible in the kisses she planted along Jasper's neck, in the contented sigh she uttered against her nape before curling into it.

"You're a sharper learner than I thought." She swirled her forefinger in circles on Jasper's shoulder. "You even taught me a couple things back there." She chuckled warmly, her voice husky, well used from the forray earlier.

Jasper looked down at her, one hand holding onto her shoulder, jostling Garnet to meet her gaze. "I'll teach you everything there is to know about me and then some," She swore, sealing it with a kiss. "So long as you return the favor." Her mouth still hovered just over hers.

Garnet sat up, legs kicking out to straddle Jasper's waist once again. Making her purr with the rightness of it all. "It's a promise then, Jasper." She winked, phasing her outfit on in a flash, hiding those curves from her just like that. Uniform alone still rather becoming on her.

Jasper sighed, propping up on her arms, outfit adorned at once, just the same. She rested their foreheads together. Garnet's lips, dotting her gem with a dozen adoring kisses, raised goosebumps on her skin.

They stood together, both with weak knees and flushed faces— hair in disarray and mouths bruised from kisses. Jasper watched Garnet break into a smile and felt a pang in her chest. She reached a hand to her rosy cheeks before letting it fall.

Jasper had accepted she'd never be able to bury Malachite in the past— not entirely — but, as long as she had Garnet, she'd manage.

She wove her arms tight around Garnet, feeling complacent. Feeling _anchored_. Aware that her affections now aligned her with the rest of the rebels, aware that if Homeworld came looking for her that there'd be a fight, aware that the Cluster brewing in this Earth's core would probably be her downfall before any Homeworld gem.

Aware that she'd _die_ for the fusion in her arms.

Jasper sighed, embracing Garnet to the brink of fusing. Her face full of love, ready for the taking. No denying her feelings or intentions. The life Jasper had before seemed distant with Garnet so near.

When she looked at Garnet, a future spread out before her. One she'd fight to claim.


End file.
